Robert Ishmael Aggrey Amissah, lawyer for the second accused in the extradition case involving social media influencer Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has said they met Pontius Pilate in court.
This follows the State filing a suit to discontinue the case against the second and third accused persons in the Abu Trica trial.
According to reports, the State, which is the Attorney General, has filed to discontinue the case against Lord Eshun and Bernard Aidoo, two associates of Frederick Kumi, widely known as Abu Trica, who were arrested along with him.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer for Abu Trica, who shared the news on X, revealed that after the Attorney-General filed the suit at the High Court to strike out the case, the substitute judge at the District Court refused to discharge and release 2 of the 3 arrested.
In his post on X, he wrote, “I just left the court in the Abu Trica matter.
The Attorney-General, after our filings in the High Court for the case to be struck out, today asked the District Court to discharge and release 2 of the 3 arrested”.
“The substitute Magistrate says no, she won’t do it. Then says “this cup will pass me by”. Adjourns it, and says we should wait for the main judge to come back on 3rd February.
I swear I for lef Ghana! Because “me ka kyerɛ broni kraa ɔngyendi.”
The lawyer for the second accused likened the situation to the biblical analogy when Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the crucifixion of Jesus.
He stated, “Ghana’s legal system has been taken back 2000 years. We have come to meet Pontius Pilate in court. The state, per it own reason and volition, says that A2 and A3 they do not need desired to continue with them, so they should be discharged.
However, the Judge who was assigned to the matter today says that no, she is not going to discharge them, but defer that to the substantive Judge”.
“We have also filed additional applications to quash the entire process, as the illegality involved cannot be allowed,” he added.
The stalemate leaves the fate of the two co-accused individuals uncertain, with the nexthearing date for Abu Trica on February 3.
Background
Abu Trica, a 31-year-old Ghanaian from Swedru, was arrested for his alleged involvement in an $8 million romance scam which targeted elderly victims in the United States.
He was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, following an investigation conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.
The US Department of Justice wrote, “According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims. They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretences.
Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms. They then requested money or valuables under false pretenses, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties.
The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Kumi worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations.
Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification, and faces up to 20 years in prison”.
It further added, “If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offence, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt”.
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